Driving unit



Nov. 29, 1949 H. c. HEssE 2,489,642

' DRIVING UNIT Filed Dec. 5, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l BY MW HQc. HEssE DRIVING UNIT Nov. 29, 1949 Filed Dec. s, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. rmrzflisse Mrk@ Patented Nov. 29,1949

DRIVING UNIT Herman C. Hesse, Irondequoit, N. Y., assignor to Mixing Equipment Co., Inc., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 3, 1945, Serial No. 632,455

(Cl. i4-425) 11 Claims.

This invention relates to driving units and, more particularly, to those of the motor driven, gear reducer type for rotating a, driven shaft at reduced speed, one object of the invention being to provide an improved unit of the above character having a more simple, compact and practical type of construction.

Another object is to provide a unit of the character described having such a construction that the driven shaft may be released and withdrawn longitudinally from the unit, for repair or replacement, without substantially affecting the adjustment of its supporting bearings or driving connections.

Another object is to provide a unit having the above advantages in which the driven shaft is rotated through a flexible coupling so that the driving gearing is protected against any vibration or shock to which the driven shaft may be subjected in use.

A further object is to provide such a unit for driving the agitator of a material mixing container requiring a minimum of head room and in which the driven shaft may be made in one piece of substantially uniform diameter or section requiring a minimum of machining and so associated with the unit as to be readily withdrawn and replaced at the place of installation and use.

Still a further object is the provision of such a driving unit adapted to be positioned vertically on the top of a material mixing container for driving an agitator shaft with the motor and speed reducing mechanism and shaft bearings compactly arranged to occupy a minimum head space above the container. To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a driving unit embodying the present invention and shown as applied to a mixing container;

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged central vertical section of the unit, and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a part or sleeve detached for better visibility.

The invention is herein disclosed, by way of illustration, as embodied in a unit adapted for driving the impeller or agitator shaft of mixing equipment comprising a liquid container I (Fig. 1) having a closed top provided with a nozzle I I terminating in a circular flange I2 for the reception of a vertical shaft I3 extending through the nozzle downwardly into the container and provided therein with one or more impellers or agitators (not shown) for mixing or otherwise conditioning the container contents, as well understood in the art.

The present embodiment comprises, preferably, a vertically extending frame composed of a number of superposed sections, including a lower supporting section or stool, indicated generally at I, for supporting the unit on the tank nozzle flange I2, comprising a lower circular flange I5 secured to the flange I2, as by means of bolts I6. Stool Ill comprises several spaced upright plates Il, preferably welded at their low er ends to flange I5 and Welded at their upper ends to a top, ring-shaped or annular flange I8, the plates II, for example, being advantageously formed from longitudinal quarter sections of a steel tube or pipe of substantial diameter. Stool I4 is of such height as to suitably space the driving unit above the tank nozzle to provide room for a stuing box indicated generally at I9, to which further reference will be made hereafter.

Secured to the upper flange I8 of the lower stool as by means of bolt 2t (Fig. 3) is an annular plate 2| to which are welded the lower ends of four uprights 22, of angular section, spaced in the generally rectangular arrangement shown in plan in Fig. 2. The upper ends of the uprights are welded to and support an annular plate 23. Fixed to the uprights 22, as by means of bolts 24, are a pair of spaced beams 25, of channel section, extended at one end and bridged by a base plate 26, forming a platform on which is bolted the electric driving motor 21. In the present instance the motor is arranged horizontally with its shaft 28 directly connected as by means of a coupling Z9 with the high speed shaft 39 of the speed reducing gearing located in an intermediate section 3I of the frame, to which further reference will be made hereafter.

Shaft i3 is rotatably supported by spaced bearings one of which is mounted on the flange 2l and the other at the top of the frame, as hereafter described in more detail. These bearings are substantially alike and a description of the lower bearing on flange 2| will apply to both.

The lower shaft bearing comprises, preferably, a flanged head 3E, the flanged lower end of which is fixed, as by means of bolts 33, to the inner periphery of the annular plate 2l. The head is hollowed to provide a chamber 34 for receiving the lower shaft bearing and serving as a lubricating oil reservoir therefor. Slidably fitted in chamber 34 is a roller bearing 35, of any known or suitable construction, having a tapered internal opening 36 engaging the correspondingly tapered outer surface portion 3l of a sleeve 38 fitted to the driven shaft I3. Sleeve 38 is of resilient metal split longitudinally and so capable of being contracted and releasably clamped to the shaft. For this purpose, one end of the sleeve has threadedly engaged therewith a thrust means or lock nut 39 carrying a washer 40 bearing against one end of a ring 4I slidable longitudinally on a cylindrical portion of the outer surface of sleeve 38. The opposite end of sleeve V4I bears against roller bearing I for moving the same longitudinally to oppose the tapered surfaces 36 and 3l of the bearing and sleeve and so contract and clamp the split sleeve 38 on the shaft. The bearing is urged in the opposite direction to release the sleeve from the shaft by a coiled compression spring 42 located in a circumferential groove'43 (Fig. 4) adjacent the lower end of the sleeve. One end of the spring bears against one side of the groove while the other end bears against a shoulder on a ring 44 abutting at one end against the bearing 35 and tending to effect relative movement between the sleeve and bearing, to relieve the sleeve for expansion to release it from the shaft. The bottom of chamber 34 is Vclosed by an oil seal 45, while its top is closed by a seal 46 bearing against a split ring 4l snapped in a groove in head 32 and partially Vclosing the top of the chamber. Oil is supplied to the chamber to lubricate the bearing through va pipe 46a. Lock nut 39 is accessible through the space between the plate 23 and the channels 25 and may be turned to clamp sleeve 38 to the shaft or to release it for detachment of the shaft longitudinally from the unit.

`The intermediate compartment 3| of the frame has a bottom flange i8 secured by bolts 49 to annular plate 23. This compartment has a transverse lpartition 55 formed with a central opening in which is a roller bearing 5l tapered to afford support in thrust and radial load. The bearing is litted internally to a quill 52,'the bore of which is somewhat larger' in diameter than `shaft I3 so as to freely surround the shaft without contact therewith. The upper end of compartment 3| is closed by a head 53 detachably mounted thereon and closing the 'top thereof and having a central opening in which is seated `a tapered bearing 54 similar to and spaced from bearing 5I and similarly tted to the quill. The opening in parti- `tion '5lis closed by an oil seal 55 and the opening Vin head 53 by an oil seal 56, so Athat the space within the compartment forms an oil reservoir to which oil is supplied through a pipe 51. Keyed to the quill is a worm wheel 58 meshing with a worm (not shown) on driving shaft 3l), the worm being located in an extension 58a of the compartment (Fig. 2). This speed reducing gearing and thebearings 5l and 54 are thus continuously supplied with lubricant. 1t will be seen that the quill is firmly supported for rotation by spaced 'bearings with the driving element or gear 58 compactly located between the bearings which serve to holdit against longitudinal movement on the quill.

The means for coupling the quill to the shaft is preferably located at the upper end of the quil] above head 53 of the intermediate or gear compartment 3I. Such coupling means comprises, preferably, a spur gear, 59, on a hub 55 iixedV to 'the quill by a key 6I and a set screw 62. An

'4 adjacent spur gear 53 is carried by a hub 64 releasably fixed to the shaft by a key 55 and set screw 35, the key seat 5i being extended through the upper end of the shaft, as shown, for a purpose hereafter described. A single, roller type chain 68, of any known or suitable construction, is meshed with both of the gears 55 and 53, so as 1 to'flexibly. couple them together, as well understood in the art, the chain having its ends detachably coupled together by any known or suitable means. The coupling is preferably enclosed in a `lhousing 69 which may contain a suitable lubricant.

The upper Vend of driven shaft I3 is supported by bearing means on the upper end of an upper section or stool, indicated generally at '10, and comprising an annular bottom plate 'II secured by bolts 'I2 to head 53 of the intermediate section 3l of the frame. Welded at their lower ends to the plate 'Ii are four spaced upright plates 13, such asr described 4in connection 'with the lower `stool I4, the upper ends of these plates being welded to an upper ring 74. Mounted on ring 14 'is `a head `I5 formed with a `chamber 'I6 slidably receiving a roller bearing Tl, Athe tapered inner opening of which opposes a tapered surface portion on a sleeve '18, fitted to shaft "I3, these parts being substantially the same as the corresponding parts in the lower shaft bearing described above. A thrust means or lock nut T9, threaded on the sleeve, bears against a `ring 88 which bears, in turn, against the bearing 'I'l to effect relative movement of the sleeve andk bearing for contracting and clamping the sleeve to the shaft. vThe bearing is urged in the opposite direction to release the sleeve by a spring BI and ring 82, as described in connection with the lower bearing. A ring 83, supported by a split ring 84, mounted in a groove in head '15, serves to limit ,the downward or releasing movement of the bearing. The chamber 'I6 is closed at top and bottom with oil seals, as described for the lower bearing. A pipe supplies oil to the bearing and other parts in vthe chamber to lubricate the same.

'To positively position the shaft vertically, the upper end of the shaft is preferably provided with circumferential grooves 86 and 87 .located at the ends of sleeve 18. Split rings 83 and 89` are detachably snapped in these grooves so as. to positively prevent longitudinal movement between the .shaft and sleeve and supplement the supporting function of the sleeves 33 and 'I8 on their respective bearings.

The lock nut 'I9 of theupper bearing andthe coupling between the quill and. shaft are both accessible through the spaces between the plates 'I3 for releasing the shaft from the bearing and coupling for removal of the shaft.

The stuffing box I9, of any known or suitable construction, has its sleeve 3l! mounted vin an opening in the bottom flange l5..of the frame, so as to seal the nozzle of the container on which the unit is mounted, the parts being raccessible through the openings between the uprights VI.

In operation, the motor 21,. through `the speed reducing gearing, including gear 58 ,rotatesfquill 52 on its bearings 5I and 54 on the frame. `The quill, through the flexible coupling atits upper end, rotates the driven vshaft which' is securely mounted for rotation in. its upperv .and 1ower bearings also supported on'the frame. VThe quill and .its Vgearing are thus free from direct contact with'the shaft and protected'through'the exble coupling against any vibration or shockstowhich the shaft may be subjected in use. Atthe same time the driven shaft I3 may be readily removed from the unit without substantially disturbing the adjustments of the bearings, coupling and quill. This may be accomplished by unbolting and raising the unit, if necessary, to obtain clearance between the lower end of the shaft and the bottom of the container, after which set screw 66 is backed oif to release the shaft from the quill coupling. Lock nuts 39 and '19 are unscrewed to release the sleeves 38 and 18 so that the sleeves may move longitudinally a sufficient amount to expand and release the shaft. Removal of the rings 88 and 89 then frees the shaft so that it can be lowered longitudinally and removed from the unit and then from the container. The same shaft after repair, or a new shaft, may then be inserted longitudinally in the unit and secured in place, without substantially disturbing the shaft supporting and driving parts.

It will be noted that these shaft supporting and driving means are so constructed as to enable the use of a driven shaft of substantially uniform diameter or section, requiring a minimum of special machining, to facilitate removal and replacement as described above and to simplify replacement of one shaft by another provided from a stock of standard shafting, with a minimum of machining operations.

The driving motor and high speed shaft are arranged horizontally in the space above the container and connected to the speed reducing gearing which is located in the space between the quill bearings. These parts, in turn, are located between the spaced bearings of the shaft, so as to require a minimum of head room and provide an exceedingly compact construction, with substantial spacing of the bearings longitudinally of the shaft and quill, respectively, for supporting them more firmly in the frame. The construction, as a whole, is simple and practical in character, comprising relatively few parts, conveniently arranged for ready access as occasion may require.

It will thus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects and while it has been herein disclosed by reference to the details of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such disclosure is intended in an illustrative, rather than a limiting sense, as it is contemplated that various modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts will readily occur to those skilled r in the art, -within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A gear unit for supporting and driving the end of a shaft, said unit comprising a supporting frame, a shaft extending through said frame, bearing means on said frame for rotatably supporting said shaft, said bearing means having a member detachably fixed to said shaft to release the same for withdrawal longitudinally from said bearing means, a quill detachably surrounding said shaft, bearing means on said frame supporting said quill independently of bearing engagement with said shaft and of the vibrations thereof, means for rotating said quill, and a detachable flexible connection between said quill and said shaft for rotating said shaft.

2. A gear unit for supporting and driving the end of a shaft, said unit comprising a supporting frame, a shaft extending through said frame, spaced bearings on said frame for rotatably supporting said shaft, each of said bearings having a member detachably xed to said shaft to release the same for withdrawal longitudinally from said bearings, a quill detachably surrounding said shaft between said bearings, spaced bearing means on said frame supporting said quill independently of bearing engagement with said shaft and of the vibrations thereof, means for rotating said quill having a connection therewith intermediate said bearing means therefor, and a detachable flexible connection between said quill and said shaft for rotating said shaft.

3. A gear unit-for supporting and driving the upper end of a vertically extending shaft, said unit comprising a supporting frame, a shaft extending 'vertically through said frame, spaced bearings on said frame for rotatably supporting said shaft, one of said bearings being located adjacent the upper end thereof, each of said bearings having a member detachably fixed to said shaft to release the same for withdrawal longitudinally from said bearings, a quill detachably surrounding said shaft between said bearings, spaced bearing means on said frame supporting said quill independently of bearing engagement with said shaft and of the vibrations thereof, means for rotating said quill having a connection therewith intermediate said bearing means therefor, and a detachable connection between said shaft and an end of said quill located between said quill bearing means and one of said shaft bearings.

4. A gear unit for supporting and driving the upper end of a vertically extending shaft, said unit comprising a supporting frame, a shaft extending vertically through said frame, spaced bearings on said frame for rotatably supporting said shaft, one of said bearings being located adjacent the upper end thereof, each of said bearings having a member detachably fixed to said shaft to release the same for withdrawal longitudinally from said bearings, a quill detachably surrounding said shaft between said bearings, spaced bearing means on said frame supporting said quill independently of bearing engagement with said shaft and of the vibrations thereof, means for rotating said quill having a connection therewith intermediate said bearing means therefor, said frame having a compartment enclosing said quill bearing and rotating means and said quill having an end thereof extended above said compartment, and a detachable connection between said shaft and said quill end for rotating said shaft.

5. A driving unit comprising a supportin frame, bearing means on said frame, a quill rotatably supported by said bearing means, means for rotating said quill, a driven shaft detachably received in said quill, means for releasably coupling said quill and shaft for rotating said shaft, split sleeves on said shaft at opposite ends of said quill and provided with means for releasably clamping the same to said shaft, and bearings on said frame for rotatably supporting said sleeves and shaft, said shaft being longitudinally detachable from said unit on release from said coupling means and sleeves.

6. A driving unit comprising a supporting frame adapted to be mounted on a container, spaced bearings on said frame, a quill rotatably mounted in said bear-ings, a driving element fixed to said quill between said bearings, an agitator shaft freely received in said quill, means for releasably coupling said quill and shaft to rotate said shaft, detachable shaft supporting m-embers on said shaft at opposite ends of said quill and coupling means, and bearings on said frame rotatably supporting said members, said quill and members being releasable from said shaft for 17 fwlthdraw'ingxsaid- .shaft longitudinally :from said unit.

i7. =A driving .unit comprising a supporting frame, spaced bearings on vsaid frame, aquill rotatably mounted in said bearings, a l'driving .element xed' to. said quill between `said bearings, -an .agitator .shaft freely and releasably .received in said quill, means forreleasably coupling, said nulllandshaft to .rotate said shaft, split sleeves .on saidshaft at opposite. ends of said. quill. and provided with means .forreleasably clamping the same .to :said shaft, and bearings on saidframe 4fnrrntatably supporting said sleevesV and shaft, said-:coupling means and sleeves being .releasable from said shaft .for withdrawing said shaft .lon- ,gitndinally .from said unit.

. 8.. A .driving unit comprising a supporting frame, :spaced bearings on said frame. a quill ro- .tata'blvrnounted in said bearings, a driving element fixed tosaid quill between said bearings, an agitator shaft of substantially uniformdiameter freely .and releasably received in said quill, ilexible :means for releasably coupling said quill and shaft to rotate said shaft, split sleeves on said :shaft at opposite ends of said quill and provided with means for releasably clamping the same to .said shaft, and bearings on said frame for rotatably supporting said sleeves and shaft.

9. .A driving unit comprising a supporting :frame `adapted to be mounted on a container and Ahaving-therein three vertically spaced oil.reser Vvoir `compartments, bearing means in the intermediate one of Ysaid compartments, a quill rotatably supported by said bearing means, a driving gear -on said Yquill in said intermediate compartment, av driven shaft extending freely through said Iquill, bearing means for said shaft in the upper and lower of said compartments, said bearing'means being releasably associated with said shaft, and a releasable connection between said yquill and -s-haf-t for rotating said shaft.

l.1.0. An agitator driving unit for a container having lan upwardly extending flanged nozzle, said unit-comprising a frame adapted to be mounted .on said nozzle ange in upwardly extending posiation, an agitator shaft extending upwardly -throughsa-id frame, spaced vmembers on said shaftprovided with means for releasably clamp- `ing the same thereto, bearings on said frame for rotatably supporting said members and shaft, a quill 4freely surround-ing .said shaft between said rshattbearings, bearing means lon .said fra/meier rotatably supporting .said quill, speed-reducing means .on said frame for .rotating said quill, and `means for .connecting .said quill and. shaft forrotating said shaft.

A1l.v .An agitator driving. unit: for. a .container having an upwardly. extending flanged nozzle, :said..:unit soomprising .a .frame .adapted to lbe mounted on said .nozzle flange in upwardly .extending position and formed with. spacedoilres- 'ervoir chambers, anagitator shaftof substantially` uniform diameter extending upwardly through .said ehambers, a split sleeve :on said shaft in each of said chambers and formed withanouter longitudinally tapered surface portion, a tapered ybore bearing in each of said :chambers .havingits tapered surfacein opposingengagementxwith:the tapered portion .of said sleel/e;means for elfecting relative movement between saidgsleevesand bearings to releasably contract: fand .clamp said sleeves on said shaft, aninterlneciiate oil reservoir chamber, a quill ext-ending: through said intermediate chamber and freely surrounding said shaft, bearing means in :said intermediate 4cham-ber rotatably supportingv said; :quilL speed .reducing gears in said intermediateohamber Afor rotating said quill, and a releasable fiexibleaeoupling between said quill and shaft for rotating said shaft, said shaft being longitudinally, lvcletachablefrom said unit upon release thereof from Said coupling and sleeves.

HERMAN C. HEISSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of l record vin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 17,838 Gayman Oct. 21, .1930 851,419 `Hess Apr.. 23,1907 1,401,349 Mignet 1 Dec. '27, 1921 1,758,267 rWach May 13, 1930 1,843,875 Kendall etal. Feb.. 2, 1932 2,001,675 Esgruber May 14, 1935 2,124,319 Stein July 19,. 1'938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country -Date 399,284 Germany July22, 1924 

